21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction - Fortaleza, Brazil - 2013

Failure mode and effect analysis as a tool for risk management in construction planning

Farah A. Wehbe1 & Farook R. Hamzeh2

1Masters Student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, American University of Beirut, Riad El Solh-Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon, [email protected]
2Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 406E Bechtel, American University of Beirut, Riad El Solh-Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon, [email protected]

Abstract

Construction projects are known for having an inherent risk affecting both schedule and cost considerably. High levels of uncertainty and risk are typical for the construction industry and are significantly manifested as project size and complexity increase. Risk management practices are underutilized in the construction industry. This paper focuses on the use of Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) within the Last Planner System (LPS) as a tool for risk management at the lookahead planning level which connects master and phase scheduling to production planning. FMEA has been widely used in the manufacturing industry to study potential failures along with their impacts and suggest remedial measures. However, its use in construction remains very limited especially at the planning level. The purpose of this paper is to study the integration of FMEA into construction planning for projects using the Last Planner System and its impact on workflow and project performance. The paper introduces a planning process model with integrated risk management employing FMEA at the lookahead planning level and combining aspects of first-run studies. The model involves: risk identification, risk assessment and analysis, risk monitoring, and contingency planning. The study contributes to the overall understanding of construction planning by laying-out a framework for identifying risks, mitigating those risks, and allocating contingencies.

Keywords

Risk management, FMEA, lookahead planning, LPS, workflow.

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Reference

Wehbe, F. A. & Hamzeh, F. R. 2013. Failure mode and effect analysis as a tool for risk management in construction planning, 21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 481-490. doi.org/

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